New King James Version | New Living Translation |
1Moreover Elihu answered and said: | 1Then Elihu said: |
2“Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’? | 2“Do you think it is right for you to claim, ‘I am righteous before God’? |
3For you say, ‘What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’ | 3For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me? What’s the use of living a righteous life?’ |
4“I will answer you, And your companions with you. | 4“I will answer you and all your friends, too. |
5Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds— They are higher than you. | 5Look up into the sky, and see the clouds high above you. |
6If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? | 6If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him? |
7If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? | 7If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him? |
8Your wickedness affects a man such as you, And your righteousness a son of man. | 8No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans. |
9“Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. | 9“People cry out when they are oppressed. They groan beneath the power of the mighty. |
10But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night, | 10Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my Creator, the one who gives songs in the night? |
11Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’ | 11Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals and wiser than the birds of the sky?’ |
12There they cry out, but He does not answer, Because of the pride of evil men. | 12And when they cry out, God does not answer because of their pride. |
13Surely God will not listen to empty talk, Nor will the Almighty regard it. | 13But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen, to say the Almighty isn’t concerned. |
14Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him. | 14You say you can’t see him, but he will bring justice if you will only wait. |
15And now, because He has not punished in His anger, Nor taken much notice of folly, | 15You say he does not respond to sinners with anger and is not greatly concerned about wickedness. |
16Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain; He multiplies words without knowledge.” | 16But you are talking nonsense, Job. You have spoken like a fool.” |
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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